


In Remberance

by Aki (Akiko_Natsuko)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Florists, Flowers, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Aki
Summary: Allura hopes that the new Florists will allow her to renew the tradition of keeping flowers for her parents’ memory, however, she soon finds something more within its walls.





	In Remberance

    Allura had known that the empty shop at the end of the street had finally been bought after months of standing empty, but she hadn’t paid much attention to the local gossip about what was going to be replacing the old pet store. So, it had been a pleasant surprise when she had spotted the new sign above it on her way home from work on the Monday night. It had been painted a crisp white, framed with a pale, cornflower blue that she had always loved and in bold writing, it had proclaimed ‘Starburst Lily’.

A florist.

    It was a florist’s, and even though it wasn’t opening just yet a knot that she hadn’t been aware of loosened in her chest at the realisation, and that night when she entered the house, she was able to look across at the shrine in the corner of her living room with a smile. The empty vase between the photographs had been haunting her for months, and now she found herself able close her eyes and imagine it filled with the beautiful bouquets that her mother had spent so much of her time on. _Soon,_ she promised her parents as she opened her eyes to stare at the empty vase again. _Soon._

    Over the next couple of weeks, she watched impatiently as people worked on the building, unsurprised that it was taking so long as it was old building and it had been unoccupied for a long time. Still, she couldn’t wait, and she found herself checking on its progress every night as she walked past on her way home from the train station. It made the pitiful bouquets she was able to get at the corner shop feel even more inadequate than usual.

   However, that night was different, because as she walked past the florists, she saw that someone had strung up a banner along the front of the shop, declaring that they were opening at the weekend. It was late, but she couldn’t resist crossing the street and trying to peer through the windows, the street light gave her just enough light to make out the rows of buckets that were waiting to be filled with flowers, and anticipation pooled in her stomach. She could remember her mother taking her to the florists near their house when she was growing up; they would spend ages as her mother would insist on choosing each stem herself, but the result…Allura had never had the same interest in flowers or flower arranging that her parents had, but she had been able to see the beauty in it and the simplicity. She had never been able to come close in her own attempts, and she hoped that whoever owned the shop would be able to help her, because just once…even it was only once, she wanted to give her parents the flowers they deserved.

     It was hard to pull herself away and to think that she still had two days of work to go. However, just the knowledge that it was coming was enough to have her smiling to herself as she headed home, a lightness in her step that had been missing for a while. Maybe she would even invite Coran for dinner this weekend, as he had been worrying about her for ages and she knew that if she didn’t do something soon, he would turn up at her work and smother her in front of her co-workers. Besides, it would be nice to have family around her again……

****

    That Saturday she was up bright and early, arriving at the florist's a little after it had opened. She hesitated for a moment before entering, the memories of the time spent with her parents a little too close to the surface. But she hadn’t got this far by holding back and taking a deep breath she slipped inside, glancing across to see that the counter was unmanned at the moment although she could hear some movement in the back room which reassured her she wasn’t too early. It also gave her a chance to calm her suddenly racing heart and take a look around.

     It was larger than she had expected and neatly arranged, and for a moment she paused and just drank in the sight of the flowers and the scent of them that was flooding the air. She had missed this. Smiling to herself she began to move down the rows of flowers, startled to realise just how many she did recognise and how many she remembered her mother telling her about. However, she still didn’t trust her ability to make the kind of bouquet she wanted, and she was just turning to call for the florist when there was a loud crash from the back. Followed by a yowl and when she turned towards the sound, it was to find a fluffy white cat charging towards her, with a flustered looking young man on its heels. “BLUE!” The cat seemed determined to ignore him, glancing around before darting towards and around Allura, using her as protection from her approaching owner.

“Blue stop that!”

“He…” Allura started, glancing down at the fugitive.

“She.”

“She,” Allura corrected herself. Smiling at his indignant tone before turning her attention back to the cat who was now winding itself between her legs and purring loudly now that it sensed the threat was over, and she crouched to get a better look, almost gasping as the cat tilted it’s head up to stare at her with beautiful, blue eyes. “Is gorgeous.” The cat seemed to realise the compliment was aimed at her, as she meowed imperiously, butting against Allura’s fingers in a demand for attention.

“And vain,” the man laughed, all traces of irritation gone from voice and expression and Allura blinked as she realised that he had eyes that matched his cat’s perfectly. A bright, all-consuming blue that held her attention until he blinked and glanced down at the cat, a fond grin on his lips for a moment before he lifted his head and held out his hand. “I’m Lance by the way.” Allura gave the cat one last pat before rising to her feet and shaking his hand, pleased when his grip was comfortable and firm. Working in the city often saw her coming up against men who saw her suit and saw her as a threat, there was none of that here, and she could feel herself relaxing in his presence.

“Allura.”

“What can I get you?” Lance asked easily, switching to business before shooting another glance at the cat who was playfully butting against Allura’s leg in the hopes of getting fussed again. “Blue, go and cause havoc somewhere else.” The cat shot them both an offended glare before stalking off, and Allura fought back a giggle as Lance sighed dramatically. “She’s been getting ignored while I set the place up, so she seems to have made it her mission in life to cause trouble.”

“Well, it was worth it,” Allura murmured, glancing around. There was nothing about the room that reminded her of the old shop, it was new and fresh, and she knew that with time she could come to feel at home here. Lance grinned, murmuring a thank you before looking at her expectantly, reminding her of his previous question. “I need some help creating an arrangement.”

“Sure,” Lance replied. “What is it for?”

    She knew that she could just have said something simple. However, she wanted emotion in these flowers. She wanted them to be something more than the ones she had been forced to get for the past few months, and she hesitated for a moment, glancing down. “We’ve always kept flowers. My mother…” Allura choked for a moment. Everyone had told her that it would get easier with time, but it was a loss that had never become easier for her, maybe because she had still been so young, or maybe she was just reluctant to let go. She risked a glance at Lance and saw that his smile had dimmed slightly, and he was watching her quietly, but most importantly she couldn’t see any pity in his gaze, only something like understanding and that gave her the strength to continue. “She loved having them in the house, and my father was always buying them for her, and it became a tradition of sorts and even after she…died…he kept buying them, and now he’s gone I try to do the same.” _Tried._ She lived a different life to her parents, throwing herself into her work to ignore how empty the house was.

“All right.” She was prevented from sinking into her thoughts by Lance’s voice, and when she looked at him, he was rolling his sleeves up. “Let’s make them something special.” His words stunned her, and her surprise as being so easily understood must have shown on her face because he offered a small smile and an explanation. “We do something similar at home.” He didn’t elaborate, but it was enough, and she moved to join him with a cautious smile, and there was something about his easy manner that gave her the courage to speak up.

“I was thinking…”

**

    The bouquet he had helped her to create that first visit had been more than she could have hoped for, and when she’d got home and settled it into the crystal vase, it had seemed to her that the smiles in the photos had seemed brighter than usual. Although maybe that had been because she had been unable to stop smiling. Lance had been incredibly easy to talk to, and he had seemed to understand her clumsy attempts to explain what she was looking for with ease, and his chatter as he worked hadn’t been annoying but comforting, stopping the memories from overwhelming her and she knew that she would be going back.

****

    Allura hadn’t been wrong. At first, she had stopped by to see Lance every weekend just to get a fresh bouquet for her parents, awed by how he managed to make each one completely different. Some days he would press her to tell him about her parents, and slowly she would regale him with a story about a trip or holiday, or a silly habit or hobby, and without fail he always seemed to mirror her words in the arrangement. When she had asked him about it, he had admitted that was what he liked about arranging flowers. If you did it right, you could convey a story or a feeling, although it had taken him a while to perfect the art, making her laugh with stories of his failures. Especially, how he had inadvertently managed to weave stinging nettles into one he had made for his sister when he was younger and how it had taken her weeks to forgive him.

     She knew that she wasn’t alone in being made welcome, his shop was always busy whenever she passed it, and he seemed just at ease talking with people frantically buying flowers as a last-minute gift or apology, as he was with people arranging flowers for a wedding or funeral. And yet, when he was talking to her, it felt as though none of them existed. It helped that Blue greeted her like an old friend every time she stopped by, even though Allura had seen her ignore other people’s attempts to get her to come to them, and she always made time to fuss the cat, even when she had been causing trouble.

    It was when she started stopping by midweek as well, sometimes buying some flowers to take into the office, other times just to say hello to Lance and Blue. Even dropping him off coffee as he had a bad habit of remembering to get any for the shop – and it hadn’t taken her long to realise that like her, he lived off the stuff and could be a bit of a bear without it.

Then she started to realise that it was becoming something more.

**

    Perhaps that was why she found herself slipping into the shop late one Thursday evening, just before he closed, tears on her cheeks. Lance had been bent over the counter, trimming some stems for the display he was working on, and he had lifted his head, usual grin in place, only to freeze as he looked at her.

“Allura?” She hadn’t been able to get her voice to work, but he seemed to understand. He glanced at the clock on the wall, before coming around to greet her, patting her on the shoulder before he moved past her to lock the door and flip the sign. She knew that she should protest, but the words wouldn’t come. “Come through to the back, I’ll make us a drink.” Not knowing what else to do she followed him past the counter and into the backroom, following him through a maze of shelves to a small kitchenette at the back, following his instructions as he pointed to the table at one end and sinking into one of the chairs. She wasn’t alone for long, as Blue materialised and immediately sprang into her lap, curling up and purring hard. Lance snorted at the sight but didn’t comment as he bustled around making drinks for them.

    Slowly, Allura found her fingers sinking into soft fur, making Blue purr harder than ever and she was beginning to relax when Lance came and settled a cup in front of her. “Tea.” Seeing her surprised look, he smiled. “I don’t think either of us needs coffee right now.” Still petting Blue, she reached for the mug, noticing for the first time that it was handmade and slightly lopsided, and from the flowers daubed on the outside she had a feeling that she knew who had made it. It made her smile slightly, and she took a sip, sighing in appreciation.

“Thank you.” Lance waved off the words, settling into the seat opposite and sipping his own tea, pulling a face at it before he focused on her.

“What happened?” It was blunter than she could ever remember him being, and his gaze pierced her, blue eyes consuming and refusing to let her look away. Somehow, it was what she needed. People usually danced around her. Coran was often the worst for that, giving her a chance to build up her walls or choose her words with care.

“I…I broke my mother’s vase.” Somehow, hearing it aloud made it seem worse…or less than she had made it out to be, and she ducked her head. How, could she voice the pain she’d felt in that moment when she’d caught her mother’s precious heirloom as she tidied up, frantically trying to catch it, only to watch as it shattered on the floor. In a way, it had felt like losing her mother all over again, and she could feel more tears trickling down her cheeks.

“I know it’s silly…”

“No.” Lance cut her off with a sharp shake of his head. “It’s not.” It was like being given permission to mourn, and she sniffled, glancing down at Blue who was watching her with wide eyes, still purring hard, although the sound seemed to have softened.

“It meant a lot to her, and…”

“To you,” Lance finished for her, and Allura coloured. It had always been a feature in their house, and it had always screamed home to her – remembering how she had always looked for it when she went to visit them after moving out, and her voice was soft as she nodded.

“Yes.”

“Wait here,” Lance murmured, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet with a determined expression.

“Lance?”

“I’ll just be a minute,” he reassured her, and slowly she nodded watching as he headed for a door she hadn’t noticed before, catching a glimpse of the stairs beyond as he hurried through it. It was only as she heard him thundering up them that it dawned on her that he must’ve taken the flat above the shop, and she looked down, feeling suddenly as though she was invading. Yet, he had asked her to wait, and so she forced herself to remain where she was, finishing off her tea and giving in as Blue nuzzled her hand in an obvious demand for fuss.

    It was hard not to listen to Lance moving around above her, jumping when he knocked something over, eyes wide as she heard him cursing to himself. And when she heard him returning a few minutes later, she found herself staring down at Blue, almost embarrassed to look at him.

“Here,” Lance sounded almost shy, something that immediately had her looking up despite her previous thoughts, earning an offended meow from the cat as she tried to regain her attention. However, Allura’s gaze was riveted on Lance, taking in the unusually serious expression on his face, unable to think of a time when he hadn’t talked to her with a smile on his face even when he was offering comfort. “I know it’s not the same, but I thought maybe you’d like this.” It took her a moment to realise that Lance was holding something out to her, and she blinked, her eyes widening as she looked at it.

     It was a vase, but nothing like the elegant crystal one that she had broken or even the glass ones that he sold here in the florist. However, it was beautiful. Clearly, hand-crafted, it was decorated with a beautiful mosaic in various shades of blue and silver, leaving it to sparkle under the bright lights of the shop, and reminding her of the sun dancing on the sea at the beach.

“Lance…”

“My Grandmother used to dabble in pottery, and she made this one just before she died,” his fingers caressed the vase, and she could immediately see that he treasured it and the woman who had made it, and she shook her head. That answered the question of who he had lost, and she knew better than anyone how important it was to hold onto what those you’d lost had loved.

“I can’t…”

“You can,” Lance cut off her protest, pushing the pot into her hands with a smile. “I don’t tend to keep plants at home, and I’d rather see it put to good use than gathering dust on my shelf.” Allura’s fingers tightened around the pot, recognising the tinge of sadness in his smile. It was the same as when she spoke about her parents, and she knew, better than anyone how much thought he must’ve put into parting with this, and yet still she hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Lance said firmly, letting go and Allura clutched the vase protectively. It was something that her mother would have loved, she had been forever collecting handmade crafts much to her husband’s display, but it was more than that. Allura looked down at it, fingers trailing over the tiles, feeling the love that had been put into it. Her mother would have loved it…and Allura loved it, a smile finally slipping free as she looked up at Lance.

“Thank you.”


End file.
